Ulum al-Din - Revivication of the Islamic Sciences - vol 2 of 4

641 Pages·2011·21.921 MB·English

by  Imam abu Hamid al-Ghazali

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Imam Abu Hamed AL-GHAZALI

(450-505 H. = 1058-1111 A.D.)
HEVIVAL
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(IHYA' UlUM AD-DIN)

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Translated by
Mohammad Mahdi al-Sharif
Volume II
The quarter of the habits of life
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Title REVIVAL
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OF RELIGION’S SCIENCES
(IHYA' ULUM AD-DIN)
Classification: Jurisprudence and sufism
-
Author Imam Abu Homed AL-GHAZALI I
Translator Mohammad Mahdi al-Sharif
Publisher : Dar Al-Kotob Al-llmiyah
Pages : 2784 (4 volumes) i
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Size :17#24
Year : 2011 I
Printed in :Lebanon
Edition
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IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, MOST GRACIOUS, MOST MERCIFUL
quarter of customs of life
The second quarter of REVIVAL OF RELIGIOUS SCIENCES
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It is the first book of the quarter of customs of life
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, MOST GRACIOUS, MOST MERCIFUL
Praise be to Allah Almighty, Who has perfectly organized all of the beings,
thereupon He has created both the earth and the heavens, and caused the fresh
water to flow from the clouds, therewith He has brought out the grains and
plants, and decreed to each his livelihood and sustenance in due measure, and
preserved with food the power (and energy) of animals, and helped (the people)
go on doing acts of worship and righteous deeds, by having them eat just such of
food as is good and lawful for them. Allah’s Blessing and peace be upon
Muhammad, the (Prophet) of amazing miracles, as well as upon his family and
companions, an uninterrupted blessing to be consecutive across all the times, and
multiplied with the succession of hours, and an abundant peace to be as much as
it could be. To go further:
Verily, the main goal of those endued with sound minds (and hearts) is to
meet Allah Almighty in the (eternal) abode of reward; and there is no way for
them to achieve such meeting with Allah Almighty except through knowledge
and doing deeds, which one could do regularly and constantly only by virtue of
the good health, which, in turn, could be realized only by having such of kinds of
food as are good and lawful, from which one should get only as much as is in
proportion to his needs with the recurrence of times.
From this point of view, one of the good early predecessors said: “Verily,
eating is essential to (preserve) religion.” To this fact Allah, the Sustainer and
Cherisher of the worlds, draws the attention when He says, and of a surety,
He is the truest of speech: “Eat of things which is good and pure, and work
righteousness: for I am well-acquainted with (all) that you do.” (Al-Mu’minun
51)
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So, he, whose purpose from having food is to have it help him get knowledge
and do deeds and become strong enough to ward off evil and safeguard himself
(from the punishment of Allah Almighty), he should not leave himself to
negligence (of food), nor should he go on eating in the same way as beasts and
animals do in the pasture, for indeed, food is just an access and way to (fulfill the
3
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4 - The quarter of the habits of life
items of) religion on which the lights of religion should emerge. However, the
lights of religion are its proprieties and traditions, with which a servant is reined
3 and a AUah-fearing is leashed, perchance he would be able to scale, with the
balance of law, die desire for food, in is coming and withdrawal, and thus it
comes to be a way of driving away sin and bringing about reward, from which he
if
has the greatest portion.
^<? In this connection, (it is narrated by Al-Bukhari on the authority of Sa’d Ibn
Abu Waqqas that) die Messenger of Allah “Allah’s blessing and peace be upon
him” said: “A man receives reward even for a morsel (of food) which he raises up
to his mouth, or to die mouth of his wife.” This might be really so if one raises
such (a morsel of food) by virtue of and for the sake of the religion, observing its
if proprieties and duties. Now, we are going to highlight the duties of religion as far
as eating is concerned: its obligations, traditions, proprieties, settings under four
chapters:
The first chapter pertains to that which an eater should observe in case he
eats alone.
The second chapter pertains to the further proprieties because of gathering
!
on food.
The third chapter pertains to serving the brotherly visitors with food.
The fourth chapter pertains to invitation and hospitality and their likes.
I
CHAPTER ONE:

!
WHAT SHOULD BE OBSERVED BY HIM WHO EATS ALONE
IT
It is of three parts: one before having food, the other during eating, and the
third after finishing from having food. j
5
The First Part Pertains To The etiquettes To Be Observed In
>
Advance Of Having Food
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> Those go as follows:
The first is that besides the stipulation that the food should be lawful, its
»
sources and the way of earning it should also be good and lawful, in agreement
with the tradition in which piety is considered. Thus, it should not be earned
because of something undesirable in law, or by virtue of passion and flattery on
7 the exclusion of religion, as we shall explain later in the meaning of the absolute
good and lawful in the Book of VC^iat is Lawful and What is Unlawful.
However, Allah Almighty ordered His servants to eat but such of food as is
€ good and lawful, and brought forward the forbiddance to eat in vanities before
that of committing murder to show how grievous is that which is unlawful, and
how blessed is that which is lawful, as confirmed from His statement: “O you
who believe! eat not up your property among yourselves in vanities: but let
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there be amongst you traffic and trade by mutual good-will: nor kill (or destroy)
7
yourselves: for verily Allah has been to you Most Merciful!” (An-Nisa 29)
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Book one: etiquettes of eating 5
To be sure, the principal fundament pertaining to food is that it should be
good and lawful; and this is one of the obligations and principles of religion.
The second pertains to washing both hands. In this respect, (it is narrated by
Al-Quda’i on the authority of Musa Ar-Rida from his fathers that) the Messenger
of Allah “Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him” said: “Washing both hands
before having food removes poverty, and washing them after it removes minor
sins.” According to another version “It removes desdtudon before and after
having food.” Because the hand might not be free from receiving dirt during
working, washing it is much closer to cleanliness and purificadon; and because
having food for the purpose of seeking aid to undertake the deeds of religion is
an act of worship, it is worthy that one should do before it what is similar to
purificadon (and abludon) which he performs before prayer.
The third is that food should be placed on a dining leather sheet that is close
to the ground, since this is nearer to the conduct of the Messenger of Allah
“Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him” than to raise it on a table. In this
context, (it is narrated by Ahmad on the authority of Al-Hassan and Al-Bazzar on
the authority of Abu Hurairah that) whenever food was brought to the
Messenger of Allah “Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him”, he would place it
on the ground. However, this is closer to showing humility. If it is not to be
placed on the ground, let it be placed on the dining leather sheet, for it reminds
one of the journey, by which one remembers his journey to the hereafter, and his
need for the provision of piety. (It is further narrated by Al-Bukhari on the
authority of) Anas Ibn Malik that he said: “The Messenger of Allah “Allah’s
blessing and peace be upon him” neither took his meals on a dining table, nor in
small plates. (The sub-narrator asked: "Over what did you use to take your
meals?” He said: “On leather dining sheets." Moreover, it is said that four things
were innovated after (the death of) The Messenger of Allah “Allah’s blessing and
peace be upon him”. Those are the dining tables, the sifters, the soap, and eating
one’s fill.
It should be known to you that to say that eadng on a dining leather sheet is
more fitting does not mean that eating on a dining table is forbidden because of it
is prohibited or undesirable, as long as there is no narration in support of such
forbiddance or undesirability. That there are things which have been innovated
after (the death of) The Messenger of Allah “Allah’s blessing and peace be upon
him” does not also mean that all that has been innovated should be forbidden,
since the forbidden is that which contradict a well-established Prophetic tradition,
or cancel out a commandment enjoined by law, even though its cause survives.
Furthermore, innovation is considered in some cases when there is necessity for
it. The dining table has nothing new more than raising the food as high as to
make it easy to eat. (The innovations which are acceptable are) similar to that in
which there is nothing undesirable.
Therefore, the four things which are joined as being innovated are not equal:
6 The quarter of the habits of life
the usage of soap is good for it imposes cleanness; and of a surety, washing is
desirable for cleanness, and cleansing the soap is more perfect. That they did not
use it is because either they were not accustomed to it or it was not available to
them, or they were engaged in matters of greater importance than in excessive
cleanness: they often did not wash their hands (after eating), and their toes acted
as their handkerchiefs, even though this does not stand against the idea that
washing them is desirable.
As for sifter, its main purpose is to make fine the food, and it is permissible as
long as it does not lead to extreme luxury. As for the dining table, it is to alleviate
the process of eating, and it is also permissible as long as it does not lead to
arrogance or haughtiness. But it is to eat one’s fill which is the most grievous of
those four, for it provokes desires and appetites, and stimulates diseases in the
body. So, let one make sense to the differentiation made between those four.
The fourth is that one should sit in a good manner on the dining leather
sheet in the beginning (of having his meal) and continue to do so regularly. This
was the conduct of The Messenger of Allah “Allah’s blessing and peace be upon
him”, who sometimes knelt down on his knees for having his meal, and
sometimes sat on the back of his feet, and sometimes set up his right foot and sat
on his left foot (according to the narration of Abu Dawud on the authority of
Abdullah Ibn Bashir). He used to say (according to the narration of Al-Bukhari
;
on the authority of Abu Juhaifah): “I am not to eat while reclining.” (It is
narrated on the authority of An-Nasa’i on the authority of Anas that) he said:
\ “I’m no more than a servant, who should eat in the same way as a servant eats,
and sit in the same way as a servant sits.” It is also undesirable to drink while
reclining (since it is harmful) to the stomach.
Moreover, it is undesirable to eat while lying or reclining except when it is of
hose kinds of food which one could move. In this respect, it is narrated on the
authority of Ali “might Allah honour him” that he ate a (piece of) cake on a
shield while he was lying or, as it was said: lying on his abdomen. The Arabs
might practice this habit.
The fifth is that one should intend, by his food, to provide himself with
power which enables him to obey Allah Almighty, to be obedient through
eating, and not to take pleasure of or be blessed in eating. Ibrahim Ibn
Shaiban said: “For eighty years, I’ve never eat anything for the purpose of
satisfying my appetite.” At the same time, let him be resolute on decision to
diminish the amount of food he eats. That’s because if one eats just to get the
power of worship, his intention will not be true in case he eats his fill; for
satiety always hinders one from worship and does not strengthen him enough
i to do it.
It is necessary for the truthfulness of one’s intention to break his appetite, and
give preference to satisfaction over muchness. In this context (It is narrated by
At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa’i and Ibn Majah on the authority of Al-Miqdam Ibn Ma’di-
Book one: etiquettes of eating 7
Karib that he said) the Messenger of Allah “Allah’s blessing and peace be upon
him” said: “The son of Adam has never filled a container worse than his
abdomen, even though it is sufficient for the son of Adam to have morsels (of
food) therewith to sustain his body. But anyway, if he is to be overpowered by his
appedte, let him assign one-third (the space of the abdomen) to his food, one-
third to his drink, and one-third to his breath.”
It is also necessary for the truthfulness of one’s intention that he should not
stretch his hand towards food unless he is prompted by severe hunger, and thus
it is hunger which should inevitably be brought about to result in eadng.
Furthermore, one should lift his hand (from eadng) before he gets his fill, he will
not be in need of a physician (since no disease will befall him). The benefit of
reducing one’s food and how to do so gradually will be discussed later in the
Book of Breaking Appedte in the quarter of the destructives.
The sixth is that one should be content with such of sustenance as is
available, and such of food as is present, and he should not strive himself to bless
himself and ask for more and expect for pleasant condiments. It is out of the
honour given to bread that one should (be satisfied with it alone, and rather
should) not expect for condiments to eat therewith. (According to the narration
of both Al-Bazzar and At-Tabarani on the authority of Abdullah Ibn Umm
Haram) there is a command to honour the bread. Such of food as sustains one
and strengthens him to do worship is good (whatever it might be), which should
not be looked down upon. (It is also out of the honour of) the bread that one
should not leave it for the prayer when it is due, since the time is long enough. In
this issue, (it is narrated on the authority of Ibn Umar that) the Messenger of
Allah “Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him” said: “If supper is served, and it
is time for Isha’ prayer, you should begin with having your supper.” The famous
narration is that “If the supper is served by the time the prayer of Isha’ is
established, you should begin with your supper.” Ibn Umar (the narrator)
sometimes heard the recitation of the imam (in the prayer), but even, he would
not stand and leave his supper.
But, if one has no appetite and there is no harm to delay his meal, of a surety,
prayer should be offered first before food. But if the food is served, by the time
the prayer is established, and to delay in having it might have a cooling or
harmful effect on it, it is more desirable to have it first, particularly when there is
liberty of time, whether or not one has or has not appetite, in view of the
generality of the narration on the one hand, and because one could hardly be free
from turning to the food placed (on the table), even though hunger might not be
motivating
The seventh is that one should endeavour to have so many hands share food
with him, even from among his household. (It is narrated by both Abu Dawud
and Ibn Majah on the authority of Wahshi Ibn Harb that) the Messenger of Allah
“Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him” said: “Gather on your food together,
perchance you might be blessed in it.” According to another narration, Anas Ibn
The quarter of the habits of life
8
Malik “Allall be pleased with him” said: “the Messenger of Allah “Allah’s blessing
and peace be upon him” hardly had his food alone.” (According to a third
!
narration) the Messenger of Allah “Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him” said:
“The best of food is that in which so many hands join.”
The Second Part Pertains To The Etiquettes To Be i
Observed During Eating
Those are: one should begin by saying just on eating: “In the Name of Allah”
and conclude by saying just on finishing from his food: “Praise be to Allah.” But
it is better for him to say with each morsel of food “In the Name of Allah”, lest
his hunger should divert him from the celebration of Allah Almighty. Let him say
with the first morsel of food “In the Name of Allah”, with the second “In the
Name of Allah, Most Gracious”, and with the third “In the Name of Allah, Most
Gracious, Most Merciful.” Let him say it aloud, to have those present with him
remember to say it. Let him eat with the help of his right hand, starting and
concluding his food with salt, and reducing the size of his morsel, which he
should chew perfectly; and he should not stretch his hand to take another unless
he swallows it, for this is out of haste in eating.
Furthermore, he should not try to find fault with any kind of food (to be
eaten on the table). (According to a narration which is unanimously i
transmitted on the authority of Anas) the Messenger of Allah “Allah’s blessing
and peace be upon him” did not try to criticize any kind of food: if it appealed
to him, he would eat from it; otherwise, he would leave it. One should also eat
just of what is near him (from the dish), except in case of fruits, in which he
i has the right to have his hand go here and there in the dish to choose from it I
what he likes. (According to a certain narration unanimously transmitted on
the authority of Umar Ibn Abu Salamah) the Messenger of Allah “Allah’s
blessing and peace be upon him” said: “Eat just of what is near you (from the
dish).”
On the other hand, the Messenger of Allah “Allah’s blessing and peace be
upon him” moved his hand in different sides of the dish of fruits, and when
he was talked about that he said: “It has variety, and) not one kind (of fruits)”
(as it is narrated on the authority of Ikrash Ibn Dhu’aib that he said: A bowl
i
full of porridge with meat and fat was brought to the Messenger of Allah
“Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him”, and we went on eating from it, and
I moved my hand randomly in its different sides, thereupon the Messenger of
* Allah “Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him” said: “O Ikrash! Eat from one
place, since it is only one (kind of) food.” Then, a dish full of different kinds
of fresh dates was brought to us, and the hand of the Messenger of Allah
“Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him” went here and there in the dish, and
he said: “O Ikrash! Eat from what you like (in the dish) since it is of various
1 kinds (of food).”
One should not also eat from around the bowl, nor from the middle portion
5